Michigan

Readers show their love for Shakey Jake Woods

We asked you for your memories of Shakey Jake this week - and we've been overwhelmed by your responses.

More than 90 people have written in from all over the country, recounting time spent with Shakey Jake Woods.

Ann Arbor News file photoShakey Jake Woods

For some, his presence downtown was a comfort - a sign of the city they knew and loved. For others, specific exchanges and relationships with the man known simply as Shakey Jake enriched their lives.

Here are a few of our favorite passages from the reader comments:

"His guitar may not have had all of its strings, but he had soul and a zest for performance that made it work." - danmar111

"When I returned to Ann Arbor in the winter of 2003 after ten years away there was something nagging in my mind, something missing and I couldn't quite figure out what or who until one cold day driving down Liberty I saw to my right, along Division and Liberty, Shaky Jake standing there in all his finery in spite of the cold. I knew what I'd been missing. Driving by I banged my horn and waved, and Shaky Jake raised his guitar and waved back. I knew I was home again." - catherinec

"There are few individuals in Ann Arbor's history that can truly claim the title of "Legend". Fewer can even begin to become a part of the story of their city in a way that they become one of its most recognizable landmarks, become a symbol for what that city embodies. On Sunday night, we lost one of those people: Mr. Jake Woods also known as Shakin' Jake or Shakey Jake." - jgriffin4

"I don't know what it was about that man that drew so many to him, but I wish him peace and many happy hours playing guitar for all those who passed on before him. ... In my box of mementos I have a pristine "I brake for Jake" bumper sticker. Maybe now is the right time to put it on my car." - mauisue

"It's with a heavy heart and a tear in my eye that we have to say good bye. You will be missed and the world needs more good hearted people like you who are not afraid to be a little different..." - mpeabs

"Jake was and always will be an institution in Ann Arbor. He embraced the city and the city embraced him. His spirit will be felt everytime I walk on Main Street. We won't ever forget you Jake! Thanks for the memories." - Burrloin

"Rest in peace? Are ye crazy - man's got work to do! He's got to keep watch over the old A-town. Keep those wings flappin' and those fingers strummin' over these weary streets. Don't leave us Jake. You will always be missed." - nvschaffer

"We can all take note that money, status, position, etc. don't really make a difference in this life. It's who we are and what we contribute to each other that really counts. Jake was a master of making people smile, feel happy and come out of their shell if even for just a few moments. He reminded us all that we are truly the same deep down inside - that we need to get love and we need to give love unconditionally." - ricochetric

"He was an unsual, peaceful, and magical man. A quiet star who came and stayed." - kyilee

"He would take his coffee and set up on the corner, sometimes when it was still dark out and well before anyone else was up. One day I asked him why he was up so early. He said, "I gots to do what I do. Ain't nobody else who can do what I do." - pjones75

"Let Jake's message be a lesson to us all: Money means nothing. Life is a gift. You can spread happiness to thousands of people just by putting yourself out there, treating people like equals no matter who they are, sharing your heart and your spirit, playing the music of your soul, and being yourself." - njcronk

And keep the comments coming - add your own thoughts to the tribute. Post comments or write a letter to the editor to be published in The Ann Arbor News by sending an e-mail to letters@annarbornews.com. Please include your name and hometown.

For complete coverage on Shakey Jake - including videos, comments, photos, and articles, log on to www.mlive.com/annarbornews and scroll down to the Ann Arbor News Extra section on the left.